The Demonstrator 3 ballistic suborbital rocket (Exoatmospheric Aerospike Test Vehicle) incorporates technology used by the Haas 2CA, a Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) rocket, like the composite propellant tanks and most important, the aerospike engine. Demonstrator 3 is going to test flight this technology aiming to increase the flight readiness level of Haas 2CA, that will be launched in 2019 from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.

ARCA will launch the Demonstrator 3 rocket in 2018 from the Black Sea shore in Romania to test the atmospheric exhaust expansion of the aerospike linear engine. We will measure engine thrust variation with altitude using a vast array of sensors placed on board the rocket. The type of fuel tanks that will be installed in the Haas 2CA Single Stage to Orbit Rocket will also be flight tested to pressure and acceleration similar to what is encountered during an orbital flight.

Ground and vacuum tests are scheduled at ARCA and NASA’s Johnson/WSTF for the Haas 2CA engine. However, ARCA wants to gather more data about how the aerospike technology performs in flight before the launch of the Haas 2CA scheduled for 2019 from NASA’s Wallops Test Facility in Virginia. This is where the Demonstrator 3 rocket comes in, continuing the tradition of ARCA’s previous demonstrator rockets.

Future operations

Due to its simplicity and low cost ARCA is also considering utilizing Demonstrator 3 to open commercial suborbital flights services from Spaceport America. As the rocket can carry a payload of 30 kg up to 100 km altitude, the payload will experience low accelerations during the powered flight and will experience around 5 minutes of microgravity.